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Biomolecules as building blocks for designer therapeutic systems

Nature provides a suite of biomolecules with potent therapeutic activities. By utilising organic chemistry, we can combine these biomolecular building blocks in new and interesting ways to create precise and controllable therapeutic agents. Utilising these core building blocks and synthetic techniques, we can target a range of therapeutic indications including stroke (and other associated clotting disease) and cancer in a more controlled manner. 

Biography

Dr Emma Watson completed her PhD under the supervision of Professor Richard Payne at the University of Sydney, where her research focussed on developing synthetic methods to access post-translationally modified proteins. She then completed a postdoctoral appointment in the group of Professor Nicolas Winssinger at the University of Geneva as an EMBO postdoctoral fellow, working on logic gated systems for oncology. She began her independent career in 2022 at the University of Adelaide before relocating to MIPS in 2025 as a Senior Lecturer and ARC DECRA Fellow. Her research focuses on developing responsive therapeutic systems based on biomolecules, which are capable of using logic gates to improve safety and precision.